In August, a seven-day-old child was discovered stuck on a tree in Uttar Pradesh’s Hamirpur after he was thrown off a bridge by his parents. He had suffered at least 50 wounds, including a severe animal bite on his back, and was taken to a hospital in Kanpur where doctors were not sure whether he would survive.
The child – named Krishna because he was found on Janmashtami, August 26 – may have started life being unwanted, but when he left the hospital completely cured two months later, not one eye was dry because every staff member had become attached to him, said a doctor.
The principal of the Lala Lajpat Rai Hospital in Kanpur (also known as Hallett Hospital) said the boy was referred to the institution by the district hospital in Hamirpur.
“The baby was thrown off a bridge in Rath near Hamirpur and, fortunately, he got stuck on a large tree. He suffered several wounds because of the fall. It appears he was also bitten by some crows and an animal, because he had a severe wound on his back. He was referred to us with 50 wounds in a critical condition by the Hamirpur district hospital,” said Dr Sanjay Kala.
Staff at the hospital said they named the child Krishna, because he was found on Janmashtami, and when he would cry in pain, the nurses would sing lullabies to him from a distance because the wounds all over his body prevented them from picking him up to pacify him. “His pain and crying would bring tears to our eyes, and some of us sing to him or gently blow on his wounds to make him feel better,” said a nurse.
Dr Kala said the boy’s treatment took nearly two months and he was handed over to the police and members of the child welfare committee on October 24.
“When he was leaving the hospital, all the staff members had tears in their eyes because they felt very attached to him, almost as if he was their own child,” said Dr Kala.
“When we were so attached to him in two months, I wonder how his parents could throw him off a bridge. Even if they did not want him, they could leave him at a hospital or in front of a temple or mosque. That way, he would have at least not got hurt or bitten by animals,” he added.
Lakshmi, a nurse from the neo-natal ICU of the hospital, said, “When he got better 10-15 days after he was admitted, we felt like taking him in our arms, but the wounds did not allow it. When we finally could do that, he had to leave the hospital. We are happy he has fully recovered and we hope he has a good life.”
(With inputs from Arun Agrawal)